Jackson's Secret
by Mismatched Letters
Summary: One boring day, Miley asks Jackson what's wrong. She gets more of an explination then she ever wanted. Warning: Severe Child Abuse mentioned. NOW COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

Miley asks Jackson what's wrong and discovers the perfect father she's always known isn't quite so perfect.

WARNING: Mentions of child abuse, A/U

Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN HANNAH MONTANAH! NEVER HAVE, NEVER WILL.

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"What's wrong, Jackson?" Miley asked, noticing Jackson sitting on the couch staring glumly at the television. She was waiting for her father to come home and take her to her concert she was performing – she had to leave in a little under five hours.

"Nothing," Jackson said, barely looking up from the T.V. She glanced at it. It was a re-run of Danny Phantom, so he couldn't be all that engrossed in the show.

"Something's wrong, Jackson. You can tell me," Miley said, picking up the remote and turning off the television. "What's wrong?"

Jackson glanced at her and shifted on the couch. "Do you really want to know?" he asked.

"Yes, I do," Miley said, nodding. She tossed her hair back, not used to it being in a ponytail. She yanked it out angrily.

Jackson played with a ball he'd found on the couch. It was blue with red stars. "You wouldn't want to know," he said, tossing the ball to Miley. "It could change your life forever. 'Sides, Dad told me not to tell anyone…"

"Told you not to tell anyone what?" Miley asked gently, tossing the ball back. It caught Jackson's' eye, and he winced.

"My girlfriend dumped me yesterday," Jackson said. He lowered the ball to the floor and touched his eye, wincing in pain as he did.

"That – that – you were dating –" Miley paused. She didn't even know whom her brother was dating? How sad was she!

"I was dating the girl across the street." Jackson stood up. "See – you don't know who I'm dating, you don't care one bit about me!"

Miley caught Jackson's shirt as he tried to leave the room. "I do care," she said. "I may be busy all the time, but I _do_ care."

"You don't notice anything," Jackson said angrily. "You just _don't._"

"That's a lie, Jackson – I do," Miley said.

"Oh yeah?" Jackson challenged. "Then how come you don't know I'm being abused by the same one you call Dad? How come you don't know that I'm a strait A student in all my classes, and take honors? How come you don't know that I am going to star in a play, huh?"

Miley sat down in shock. "You're not – Dad's not –" she stopped. "Prove it! I don't believe Dad abuses you. You're just lying to get attention. Prove it," she said.

"Fine, you want proof?" Jackson asked. He rolled up his sleeves, and showed her the burns. "This happened last night when you were at a friend's." He rolled up his pant leg and showed her a huge bruise. "This happened at one of your concerts. Dad claimed it was accidental."

Miley groaned and buried her face in her hands. "I'm sorry, Jackson – what can I do to help?" she asked.

"There ain't anything you can do -- this has been going on for years," he said softly.

Suddenly, the door propped open. "Miley? I'm home!" her father called.

Miley buried her face in her hands and moaned. _What am I going to do_?

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I'd like four people to review and ask me to continue, but otherwise it will remain unfinished. I just want to know people are reading, thanks. Constructive criticism is appreciated; flames aren't. I just want to make sure that there's actually readers for this – so please review.


	2. Chapter 2

I'll continue to write – please continue to review. Everyone is really out of character in this book – just a heads up.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

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"What am I going to do?" Miley said, burying her hands in her face. "What am I going to do?"

"Don't tell him I told you!" Jackson pleaded. "Please, don't tell him I told you!"

"Okay," Miley said, "But I want to talk to you later."

Jackson nodded and turned the T.V. back on. The re-run of Danny Phantom was over, and it was now Fairly Odd Parents.

"I'm in here, Dad!" Miley called. Her father walked into the room and smiled.

"Hi, Miley," he said. "Are you almost ready for your Hannah Montana concert?"

"Yup – I can't wait!" she said with a grin. She clapped her hands. "I am so excited." In her stomach, though, she felt sick. How could he be the same person who was abusing her brother?

He just smiled, though, never suspecting that she'd heard anything. "Okay then!" he said with a grin. "Let's go. Jackson, are you ready?" he asked.

"Yeah, let me grab my shoes," he said, turning off the T.V. and getting up.

Miley paused, glancing at her father, and then glancing at Jackson. She got up and started to follow him. "Where are you going?" he asked.

"I'm going to help Jackson get on his shoes," she said with a grin.

"Okay, then. Honestly, though, Miley, he's a big boy and can handle himself just fine," her father said.

Miley pretended not to here him and followed Jackson to his bedroom. Once Jackson shut the door, she said, "What do you want me to do?"

"Don't tell him – do anything but that," he pleaded.

"But I can't not tell someone!" she protested. "You're getting hurt. It's against the law." She paused for a minute and watched him get on his boots. Suddenly, she smiled. "I know…" she said with an evil grin. "We have to catch him in the act."

"Oh, that's just great," Jackson said with a grin. "I get hurt again. So tell me – how do you plan on doing this?"

"I'm not sure yet," Miley admitted, "but I will have to figure something out, won't I?"

Jackson nodded. "Until then – I don't think anyone will believe me. Please don't tell anyone."

Miley paused, glancing up at the ceiling, wondering how the heck she'd gotten into this mess. "Ok," she promised.

"It's taking an awful long time to get Jackson's shoes on!" Robbie called. "Are you guys ready to go now, or should I come check on you?"

Miley nearly hit the ceiling. "Yeah," she said. "We got talking."

"You talk to much," Robbie called as they went into the living room. "Seriously, though – let's go. I don't want to be late."

"Dad, it's almost five hours until the concert," Miley protested. "We won't be late – I'm positive."

"The concert's an hour away, and I'd like to get something before then," he replied.

"Okay," Miley agreed. She was nervous – she didn't know what was wrong with her. Then it hit her. She was nervous about Jackson. She didn't want anything to happen, but she agreed with him – telling someone outright about it would be dumb.

She got into the car and sighed. She didn't know how she was going to either trap her father into admitting he abused Jackson or if she should catch him in the act. Either way, she knew she'd need a video camera.

She groaned when her father pulled to the stop in front of Outback – pretty much the whole thing was meat. "Dad, you know I'm vegetarian!" she protested.

"Sorry, honey," he said with a grin. "You get the concert, I get the meat."

Jackson rolled his eyes and grinned. "Hey, Miley – I got an idea."

"What?" Miley asked.

"Become un-vegetarian!" he teased.

"Oh, you little!" she groaned. "Daddy, I'm wearing my Hannah Montana get up! I can't go in there," she protested.

"So take off the wig."

"Don't you think I'm, oh, a little to fancy?" she asked.

Her father grinned and rummaged in the trunk, tossing her a pair of jeans and a t-shirt she didn't know she'd left in the car. "I knew there was a reason I didn't ask you to take these out. Come on, let's eat."

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There, see, I was nice – not a big cliffhanger.

Thanks to: Iluvwoodstock, ReadingLord94, An-Jelly-Ca, jesse-summerlandgirl, xXxCottonCandyxXx, Luvs-Mitchel-Musso, figarojh, ipodbabe, xxMorethanmeatsdaeyexX, and ShadowRisen.


	3. Chapter 3

"Stop, Dad," Jackson said as his father angrily grabbed a broom. "Stop!" he pleaded. He fell onto the couch in an attempt to hide himself into the couch cushions.

Miley shook her head as she woke up from what was a peaceful night's sleep. _Couldn't Jackson ever turn his music down?_ She wondered.

She rolled over and went up and looked in his room, gasping in shock. He wasn't there! What had happened? Why?

She turned off the music and started to straiten Jackson's bed, then shook her head. She grabbed her video camera and wondered what she would find downstairs.

"Dad," she gasped to herself when she saw the scene before them. Jackson was buried in the couch and her father was hitting him with his belt.

The same belt she had gotten him for Christmas. She felt like she might puke. "OK…" she told herself, "Calm down…"

The video camera started to recorded. Miley couldn't bear to watch her brother go through this alone. Without thinking, she walked strait into the living room.

"Dad! What the hell are you doing?" Miley demanded as she saw him. Jackson glanced up and his face paled. _No… Not Miley, _he thought.

"Jackson disobeyed me," Robby said. "So I thought I would make him understand that disobeying me is not a good idea. Last time I grounded him, but he wouldn't listen, so this time I'm beating him!"

"That's child abuse, Dad," Miley said.

"When you'd darn," he said, slurring his words, "Nothing matters – nothing at all – all the liquor does is take it away, away, away…"

"Dad!" Miley gasped as he fell onto the floor. She raced to turn the video off then raced back to Jackson.

"Please, Miley –" Jackson said, sitting up in his chair as Miley helped him put cream on his back. "I don't want to tell the guys at school, 'hell, I as abused…'

"The guys at school won't mind. If they do – they aren't your friends," She said. "Come on. We have to go to the police station and turn this in."

Jackson sighed. "Why did you have to go get yourself involved in this? He's going to hurt you too!"

"Jackson, I don't care. You're my brother, and I want to do it for you."

Jackson sighed. "I don't know, Miley – I just don't want you to get into trouble."

"Jackson, I can take care of myself. Please, we have to turn him in before he huts you or hurts anyone else."

Jackson sighed. "I guess," he muttered, staring at the floor.

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_Next morning, six o'clock am_

The police officer glanced at the two teenagers. Miley, a very popular student. Jackson, a well trusted and well liked worker – even if the man's son said otherwise.

He stepped up to them. He hated cases like this. "Hi, I'm Officer James Polk…"


	4. Chapter 4

The officer sighed as he listened to Miley's story. They were both well known throughout the community. Through a recent fundraiser, he'd even learned that she was the famous pop star, Hannah Montana. (And, of course, he was keeping the secret from the rest of the town…)

"It's true, sir," Miley said. "We have video evidence to prove it. I didn't think to call the police (which was dumb of me), but… sir you don't understand, I just found out about this a day ago, and J-Jackson said not to talk to anyone, you know? I didn't want to just, jump to conclusions, b-but…"

"You videotaped it," James said. "That was smart, that was evidence. Now, I have to ask you this – why didn't you tell anyone in your friends or family?"

"The only one we have in our family is Grandma, and she lives very far away, and, well, I don't, really, get along with her much…."

"Okay…." James sighed as he glanced at the door. "Let me go talk to your brother."

"S-sir?" Miley asked hesitantly. He glanced back at her, sitting there, tears trailing down her cheeks. _This wasn't the Hannah Montana he knew…_

"Yes?" he asked. "Go ahead and ask, Miley. I'm not going to condemn you for it."

"Will Jackson have to go back with dad?"

"No, of course not," he said reassuringly. He would do everything in his power to get these kids to a safe home… everything he could.

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"Jackson," he said, sitting down at the table. "It's been awhile since you've been in here."

"D-dad made sure I didn't." Jackson looked down at the table and buried his face in his arms.

"It's okay, Jackson," the officer said. "I'm here to help you. I've watched the videotape. Your sister was smart. Just one question, though. Why didn't she call 9-1-1?"

"Dad had ripped out the telephone lines. She had to go to a neighbor's house."

"Oh," he said. He wrote _premeditation_ on his slip. "Listen, Jackson… how long had Miley known about this?"

"About three days."

"Did she purchase this video camera because of this?"

"No, we've had that since…" he thought for a moment… "Since my fifth birthday party."

"I see…" James let his voice trail off. "Jackson, do you know your grandmother's number?"

"Yes," he said, reaching for the notebook that he'd been handed.

"Thank you," he said as he left the room.

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James seethed. He couldn't believe he'd been arrested. Why did they believe Jason's word over his? He was very respected in the community. Jason had to have faked some evidence…

Of course, he was still drunk from his hangover when they brought him in, but still… _I will make him pay, _he thought, _I will rip him through a bloody…_

He stopped only when an officer entered a room. "It was his fault," he said at once.

The officer just sat down and stared at him. After a few minutes he asked him a question. "What happened on the night in question?"

"What night is that?"

"Early this morning, late last night." It was two A.M.

"I didn't do anything," he said, staring back at the man. If the man wanted face games, he'd play face games.

"I'm sure you didn't. What happened?" The officer closed his eyes for a brief moment, then opened them and looked directly at him.

"Nothing happened," he lied smoothly.

"What _really_ happened? I know you did something, Robbie. You need to talk to me."

"Just say it!" Robbie spat. "I'm tired of the fucking mind games."

The officer sighed. "Did you or did you not abuse your son on the night in question?"

Robbie groaned. "Can't you just say last night?"

"Answer the question, sir," the officer said. Robbie glanced over. She was standing in the corner of the room and had been watching the conversation.

"I DID NOT HURT MY SON!" Robbie exploded. "You don't have any proof! You just hauled my ass in here without any warning!"

"Sir, you need to calm down," the officer warmed. In situations like this, she knew the best way to keep someone talking, was to keep them calm.

Robbie glared at her and then turned back to the officer. "I want a lawyer."

_Damn_, the officer thought.

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_Sorry for taking forever but family problems got in the way. Thank you for previous reviews; I savor them ALL. _

_PLEASE REVIEW!!!! (hugs)_


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry I've gone so long without updating, let's just say life is horrible and my beta is, well, a spaz. Thank-you for all your kind reviews!

Almost forgot.

This is **_au_**! Forgive me if some things aren't 100 right with the show. Let me know and I'll fix em.

Just to annoy Angelica:

Ah.Ah.Ah.Ah. AHHHHHHHHHHHH

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Jackson sighed as he waited for his grandmother to get there. "I can't believe it," he thought, shaking silently. His hands fluttered and anyone could see he was nervous.

Suddenly, Robbie came out of nowhere and cupped his hand over his mouth. "Shut up,"

he hissed.

"LET ME GO!" Jackson tried to scream, but Robbie's hand held firmly over his mouth. He was about to escort him out of the building when three police officers tackled Robbie at once.

"Robbie, you're under arrest for attempted kidnapping of Jackson. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law…"

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Miley ran as fast as she could to where Jackson was when she heard Jackson's scream. Robbie's escape from the room also set them spinning. She hoped he never got bail.

A few minutes later, their grandmother got there, and they left the building after filing another police report.

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_In the car_

"Jackson, why didn't you tell anyone?"

"I couldn't." Jackson's face was planted on the ground. He was unable to look at his grandmother. "I was ashamed, plus he told me… that I'd die. Miley would die. Everyone I loved, and knew would die."

His grandmother sighed and looked out the window in disgust. Not at Miley, or Jackson, but at her son. How could she have been so blind? The symptoms were all there. Looking back, she was surprised to realize that he flinched almost every time his father was in the room, he shrunk back when she touched him, and the only males he had respect for where his soccer coach and his boss.

She shook her head. _Idiot_, she thought as the man ahead of her angrily cut across in front of her.

"Where are we going?" Miley asked. "We can't go back to the house. It's a firkin' crime scene."

"One step ahead of you dear; I've already rented a hotel."

"Cool!" Jackson said. "A hotel. Is there a swimming pool there?"

Miley chuckled. That was her brother, goofball as always. She smiled as his face grew more relaxed as he talked with his grandmother.

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When they reached the hotel his grandmother paid for and checked them into the room. She nervously undid the locket around her neck, and sighed. "Jackson, there's something I've been keeping a secret for years."

Jackson looked up at her expectantly. "What?"

"You're adopted."

Jackson's eyes grew wide and his face turned a shady white. "Oh, god. That explains it – why he kept saying I'd killed my mother – god, it's all true, isn't it?"

"No, Jackson!" his grandmother said. She handed him the locket. "This is a picture of your birth mother. I wanted… I didn't want you to know."

He opened it and stared at the picture, gasping. "Grandma?" he said, staring strait at her. "_You're_ my birth mother?"

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A little twist on real-life play. As for current real life conflicts, let's just say my brother found out his birth mother was my our grandmother, and we're living with a friend, since both our parents are in prison.

Tallyhoo. R&R!

_No,_ not read and relaxation, Jason!

Read and review!

Which you all have been doing so great at!  
Thanks!


	6. Chapter 6

Jackson tried to get to sleep in the hotel room that night. It was nice knowing that he wasn't going to be dragged out of bed, beaten, and tossed back into bed, bruised.

He had long ago lost track of how many lies he'd told to protect his father's secret. Miley knew he had a nasty temper – it had been directed at her many times – but usually it was at the stage managers or something.

Or at _him_.

He had lost track of the bruises.

The broken bones.

The lies.

The countless lies.

The endless spew of lies, he'd played off of.

_I broke my arm skating._

_That bruise? Some kid shoved me into a locker._

_Oh, that little cut? I cut myself… pealing potatoes._

He was tired of the lies. The painkiller. His father. His so called "friends."

It was time to end it all. He sighed as he rested the cool, hard knife he'd sneaked out against his hand. This would be it – he could end it all, and then he'd be in pure bli….

"JACKSON! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!" Miley screamed as she ran into the room, grabbing the knife out of his hands. "Relax, dude, relax!"

Jackson started crying as he hugged Miley. "M-Miley…" he sobbed. She hugged him as hard as she could.

Apparently hearing all the commotion her grandmother rushed into the room. "Jackson, what happened?"

"Everybody's gonna know," Jackson said, his face dropping in shame. "There'll be press conferences… secrets… I HATE THIS!" he screamed.

His grandmother just looked at him, not sure what to do. Miley reached over and calmed him down. "Relax, dude," she said. "We'll be there, okay? And you're not talking about any press conferences. Not if I can help it."

His grandmother – no, his mother's – lips drew out in a firm line. "They're vultures. You can't get a good story to just disappear. I saw Rob's arrest on the news this morning."

"All I have to do is put on my wig," Miley snapped. "It'll be fine."

Jackson sighed. "Yeah… I'm just scared." He crawled under the covers and Miley

sighed, looking at her grandmother. "It's amazing."

"Honey," she said. She pulled her out of the room. "He's Jackson. He'll pull through."

"He hid this for years. There's bound to be some after affects," Miley said. "He needs to see a… co… therapist guy."

She sighed. "I'll make an appointment. He needs to talk to the police first. I don't want them thinking…"

Suddenly, the hotel telephone rang. Miley picked it up. "Hello?"

"Is your grandmother there?"

"Yes, yes she is."

"May I speak to her?"

"Who is this?"

"This is a police officer."

Miley dropped the telephone like a hot potato and gave it away. She sat down and listened to her grandmother.

"HE WHAT? WHY WEREN'T YOU BASTARDS WATCHING HIM? NOW MY SON IS IN DANGER! I KNOW THAT THERE'S UNDERFUNDING BUT I HARDLY CALL THAT AN EXSCUSE!"

She hung up the phone and glared at it. "Miley, your dad… Robbie… he escaped."

"_What?"_ she shouted.

Then she turned on her grandmother, furious from the emotion of the past week, of the day. "How do I know he's even my dad? Maybe he's not my dad. Maybe some slut or whore off the street is my dad. Maybe my mom had an affair and I'm not Miley Sirius. I HATE THIS!" she screamed and tossed her fake handbag across the room.

Her grandmother sighed. "Sit." She pulled out two identical-looking birth certificates. Then she pulled out two more.

"This is the one where it says that you are the child of your father and your mother. This is the one where it says that Jackson is the child of your father and mother. They are both fake."

Miley's mouth dropped open in shock. "I – I was just kidding. I mean, I'm sorry for yelling…"

"I know you are, dear," she replied, giving her a hug. "But it's time the truth is out. That bastard hid it long enough."

"What?"

"I'm Jackson's mother. I admit, I had an affair…" she sighed. "It's not something I'm proud of and it's defiantly something I tried to burry."

"Who'd you have it with?"

"Jackson's boss."

Jackson's mouth dropped open in utter shock as he looked at them. "What?" he gasped.

"I know, Jackson," she said. "Jackson, I have some horrible news…"

"What?" He paused. "Wait, let me guess. My father got out of jail?"

"He escaped and killed two prisoners and three jail guards in the process."

Miley shivered. She had no idea her father could be so violent. "Do they think he's coming after Jackson?"

Jackson shrugged. "I don't know, Miley. He doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would kill two prisoners, three jail guards and injure god knows who else to escape solitary confinement."

She sighed. "I was… he doesn't know where we are though does he?"

Her grandmother sighed. "Well, this is the hotel I always stay at when I come to town, but it's not my usual room."

"Oh, great," Jackson said. He pulled on his hoodie.

"Listen. Tomorrow we will get a different room."

"He escaped tonight."

Although they didn't know it, the man of their attention was there, outside.

"Jackson," he said to nobody in particular. With a fleeing glance the door flew open. "Aha," he said with a smile. "This is the fifteenth room I've searched. You may be in the same hotel, different room, but Miley's screams gave away the floor, and it was only a matter of time." He grinned and pointed the gun that he'd confiscated from the jail guards at Jackson. "Come with me and nobody gets hurt."

Jackson shrank back as his father grabbed him by the arm and forced him out. Miley tried to grab Jackson, but Robbie slammed her with the butt of the gun and she went flying forward.

"Jackson!" Miley screamed as her father dragged him away. She tried to get up, but she couldn't. She fell back down and her grandmother grabbed her, looking on helplessly as Jackson was dragged away.

Review?


	7. Chapter 7

Wow, I'm overwhelmed by the response I've received. Thanks for the reviews, everyone. Sorry for the late update.

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Jackson whimpered as he road in the backseat of the trunk. He really wasn't looking forward to being with his dad again, especially now that he'd spilled it all to Miley. He shouldn't have spilled it all to Miley – he shouldn't have. Now her life was in danger as well. How could he have been so stupid, this was all his fault.

_Great, Jackson. Way to go. You're worthless, you know that? I hope you're happy now,_ a voice told him. He swallowed hard and wondered if the police would care enough to get him out of this mess.

Yeah, right.

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Miley sat on the couch crying softly to herself. She wished she could talk to her friends, but the police had told her she had to stay in the hotel room. They had switched over to another hotel room. She had a Hannah Montana concert a week from tonight, but she didn't care. She would gladly give up Hannah to get Jackson back. Even if it meant giving up the fame and the money, she didn't care – she wanted Jackson.

It was all her fault. She'd been so utterly clueless. _Why_ had she allowed this to happen? W_hy? _This was all her fault. Wonderful – not!

"Miley? What's the matter?" her grandmother asked as she shuffled back into the room. "Besides the obvious, of course."

"I have a concert in a week. It's not that I'm worried about making it – I'd give a million dollars to get Jackson back. God, this is all my fault. I should have seen something or something – I should have been there for Jackson, I should have taken the beatings, hell I'm the older one."

"Miley," her grandmother replied, "you're only right about one thing – if he had abused you it would have been noticed quicker because of Hannah Montana. But we can't dwell on the 'what ifs.' This is not your fault. We _are_ going to get Jackson back and we _are_ going to get Jackson back alive. And we _are_ going to give him a happy life."

"But it's my fault," Miley said, tears dripping down her face.

"Miley, look at me right now," her grandmother ordered. "If this is anybody's fault, which it isn't, I'm the one to blame. I should have seen the symptoms when I came over – he was withdrawn, moody, having mood swings – your father thought it might be a disorder, but I see clearly now that it was the abuse. As soon as I get Jackson back, your father is going to jail, and Jackson _and_ you are going into counseling."

"But," Miley protested.

"No buts, young lady. I may even go into counseling myself. I'm pretty devastated that your father could do such unspeakable horrors to _my son_. I can't believe he lied to Jackson for thirteen years, but then again, I guess I can." She sighed and rubbed her eyes. "The police are working on an amber alert and an apb. They also have a bolo on his car, whatever that means."

"That's good?" Miley said. "Look, Grams – we're both tired. Go to _bed._"

"You go to bed first," she said.

They both looked at each other and burst out laughing. "Like I'm going to sleep," they both said at once.

"Come on," Miley said. "Let's go get a coke from the bar."

"Oh, yeah, because _that'll_ help the caffeine issues!" her grandmother laughed, but she escorted her down anyway.

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_Five hours later_

Jackson awoke later. "Dad?" he asked. He heard nothing, so he tried the doorknob. It was locked. He had expected as much. The room was fairly bare, it had a bookshelf filled with appeared to be schoolbooks, white walls, and a bed. It also had a connecting bathroom, which Jackson quickly used and drank a cup full of water.

He sighed and leaned against the wall. He missed his grandmother terribly already. This was his fault, he knew that. He just couldn't help missing her.

The door flew open. "Good. You are awake," his father said. He was carrying something strange in his hands.

"What is that?" Jackson asked, backing away.

"This is a shock collar. It is normally used on dogs." He smirked and placed it around Jackson's wrists. "This is what will happen if you disobey me again!" he thundered, and pressed down hard on the button.

Jackson screamed.

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_A/N: Reviews are lovely. Sorry 'bout the delay, I'll update soon, I promise. _


	8. Chapter 8

Jackson blinked as he awoke. His father had managed to "give the police to slip," as he said. He'd been held captive for over three weeks, and he already felt hollow and empty inside.

All his father wanted him for was a hostage and a punching bag. He was hit daily, and beaten whenever his father was drunk. He'd been so sick; so sick. Jackson had a fever one week and chills the next. Not that his father ever cared; he just beat him up anyway.

He had bruises all over his face, his back and his arms. The police had come to the door quite a few times, but all had left when they discovered nobody was home (or as his father pretended.)

"STOP IT," his father's voice rose. The door to the basement swung open, and Jackson shivered. He was freezing, even through his sweater and jeans. His father had turned on the air conditioning because he was so hot. Jackson wasn't. He hadn't been hot since he'd been held captive.

Jackson groaned as a fist slammed his father's fist slammed into his face. "What are you doing?" his father slurred. Jackson fell to the ground. His father picked him up by the hair and slammed him down again. "Dagon you, Jackson. Dagon you, Jackson!" he yelled.

Jackson whimpered as his father slowly pulled out a cigarette. Lighting it, he blew the smoke in his face and waited it for it to smother. He pressed it against Jackson's skin and Jackson screamed.

He closed his eyes, praying silently that Miley would find him.

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Miley closed her eyes and smiled at her friend Roxanna. Roxanna was a friend from school nobody knew about, not even her dad, which right now, made her even more special. "It's so hard," she sobbed. Roxanna nodded sympathetically.

"I know," Roxanna said with a sigh. Roxanna's father had abused her brother, Jason. Sexually, physically and emotionally – the whole lot. Jason had run away at the age of fifteen. Eventually, the truth had come out and Roxanna had found her brother's journal, but Jason had never returned. Nobody knew if he was alive or dead. She held Miley's hand sympathetically. "I know."

"It's… so… hard… The not knowing," Miley sobbed. "I can't believe I was so naive, not knowing about the abuse that was going around right under my nose. I can't stand it!" she sobbed into Roxanna's arms, now openly crying. "And to make it worse, my father escaped and I don't know if he's going to come after me, too! We had to move, Roxanna! What if he comes home and we're not here? What if we… Roxanna, I just can't do this anymore!" she yelled.

"Shh," Roxanna said. "I know things will go differently for you. They'll be okay."

Miley sniffed. "I hope so… But I still can't take the not knowing, so damn hard," she said. Tears had fully ruined her makeup, but she didn't care.

"I know, I know, I know," Roxanna said. "Come on. Dry your tears, Miley. It'll be okay. It'll be okay."

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_Sorry so short – next chapter'll be better. Wooohoo. Review please!_

_-Alisha  
PPS – Not an option. Winkwink _


	9. Chapter 9

Wow, how long did you say it's been since I've updated? I'm sorry! I got busy with life. That, and pigs and cows have been flying by our house lately… Just kidding; hope you enjoy the update!

Here is the next lovely chapter. _Reviews are wonderful, and they're keeping me writing._

_---------------------------------_

Jackson woke up the next morning in brutal pain. Everything hurt, and he couldn't feel his left foot. At least the dog collar was off.

_When had everything gone wrong?_ He wondered. His father had been in jail, and for a moment, for a blessed moment, he thought everything was going to be okay, that things were going to be all right, and that he wouldn't have to deal with the beatings anymore.

Fat chance. Why had he even hoped? The last time he'd tried to tell someone, his father had won out, as he always would. Now he was separated from his friends, his loving grandmother, his job, and Miley, his sister.

_Miley._ He shouldn't have told Miley. This had all happened because he _had_ told her. Hopefully his father wouldn't realize – he didn't want Miley to experience anything he'd gone through.

"Oooooh, Jackson!" his father called through the door. He was obviously drunk. _Oh, goody,_ he thought. "Where are you?" he asked as he burst into giggles.

_Oh, goody. A laughing drunk. The best kind._

_----------------------_

Five Hours Later

Miley had sent her grandmother off to bed when she realized that she'd collapsed on the rug. Just fallen asleep, flat on her face. Her friend, Lily, had called, and she'd broken down and explained everything that had gone on. It had been a three-hour phone call.

Now Miley was bored. Police were patrolling the hotel, and she couldn't do much of anything. She'd tried typing her school report, but she just could not concentrate.

Most of her other friends were in school, a place where she desperately wanted to be, but her grandmother was worried that her father might come after her, too.

She was very worried about Jackson; she had never known her father to be violent before this – he'd never so much as even raised her voice to her, and yet, in the same house, he was abusing her brother!

How could she not have noticed it? How come she didn't notice the warning signs? How come she didn't notice the late-night screaming matches? Or the bruises that he claimed were supposedly from sports?

_How come?_

Her grandmother came running into the room. "Miley, come quick! They've arrested your father – he's at the station now, and they want us watching him during the interrogation!"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jackson sighed. His father had come in here, late at night, and smacked him around a little bit, and then left him alone, and had left him alone ever since.

He didn't understand it; it had been quite awhile, he'd passed out from the drugs his father had given him, which meant that he probably had had about eight hours of sleep, but where was his father?

He had no idea. He just wanted this to end.

He spied the door, and suddenly a thought struck him.

This was a basement. Basements always had ways to get out of them, right?

Well, this was real life, not the movies. Jackson, however, was a big fan of thriller movies, so he figured he knew all the tricks in the book.

He could at least try. He refused to be a sitting duck.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Miley watched as the policemen sat down in the room with her father. Her father was casually leaning back in his chair, as if this was all a big joke.

"You are being interrogated. Do you wave your right to a lawyer?" the officer asked.

"Don't want a damn lawyer – they charge too much." Robbie smiled and Miley frowned. Had her father been like this a lot? She must have been extremely stupid, not to notice it.

"So you wave your right to a lawyer."

"How many times do I have to tell you? No lawyers. What do you want?" he demanded.

"You know you can get one from the state if you want." Miley rolled her eyes; she knew that the officers had to do their job but this was a bit ridiculous!

"I DON'T WANT A DAMN FLICKING LAWYER! What did I do wrong, officers?" Robbie asked coolly.

"Let's try a speeding ticket, for one. You went a hundred miles in a twenty mile-per-hour zone."

"It wasn't school time."

"Yes, it was. It was three in the afternoon. You were also severely intoxicated – you were three times the legal limit."

"Aww, that's hardly a drop in the bucket, shoulda seen me the day before, I musta been at least ten times the legal limit, then."

_And you're still intoxicated now, _Miley thought angrily.

"Where is Jackson?"

"Who is Jackson?" Robbie slurred, tipping his chair back against the wall. Luckily, there wasn't enough room so that he could get leverage and fall down and get any leverage to get his handcuffs off.

"Jackson – your son, Robbie." Miley could since that the officer was getting upset.

"Oh, that Jackson." Robbie paused for a moment. "Well, he's in the basement. Of a property one of my friends own. We were crashin' there for the night, ya'know, harmless fun."

"You know that two days ago, your custodial rights of Miley and Jackson were revoked, and you weren't allowed to see them anymore, get into any contact with them or take them away from their legal custodian at the time, which is their grandmother?"

"Jackson is my son. That rides over any custodial bullshit," Robbie said. Miley felt fire course through her veins; her father was _definitely _intoxicated, and she was worried she was going to charge through the door and attack someone.

The officer sighed. "Let's try this again. Jackson. You said he was in your friend's basement?"

"Yeah, my friend, he has this really cool house, ya'know?" Robbie smiled slightly. "It's very large. My friend probably left there, by now, but Jackson is sleepin' away, snorin' from the drugs I made him snort. Err, swallow."

"Where is the address?"

"Address? What's that?"

"You know, how we can find the house?"

"Oh, you don't need no damn address for that. Let me get a pen – I'll draw you a map. You got any particular reason you want to find this house, officer?"

"Yes, we want to find your son."

"Oh, well he'll be mighty hard to find, he's in that basement, you know, and he can move around quite a bit in his sleep." Robbie smiled, and accepted the pen the officers gave him.

The officers stepped out of the room. One of them – his name read Mark – said, "It's almost unfair, interrogating a drunk guy."

"At least we know where the kid is. And he waved his right to a lawyer about five times."

Miley stopped them. "You're going to find Jackson?"

"Yes, we'll find Jackson and bring him home."

"Why did you want us to come watch?"

"Because we figured you could stop him if he was lying."

Miley snorted. "No, I think that's all true – I remember that place, somehow."

"Think you could get us there?"

Miley shook her head. "You're better following the map. Go! Find Jackson!" She pleaded.


	10. Chapter 10

Jackson was lying on the middle of the basement floor, his arm bent, practically broken almost in two places. He didn't know what he was going to do if Robbie came back. He was ready to give everything up.

_Everything. _

He had to remind himself that Miley cared, and that Miley was looking for him.

_Because otherwise, he'd never make it out of there alive… Again._

--

Miley sat on her chair, holding her hands in her head. She had a Hannah Montanah concert that night. She didn't want to do it. She felt like she was betraying Jackson. But she knew she had too, or everyone would know her connection.

She smiled as she got up on stage and yelled, "So who's for some good music?" Everyone, of course, cheered. She smiled, then continued on.

Singing helped a little bit; she often wondered if she'd caught her dad, late at night, drowning his sorrows in his guitar. "This one's for a friend of mine," she called, "who's hurt. I wrote it myself. Everyone be praying for my friend, okay?"

The crowd cheered; they loved her original stuff.

_If you're beaten down_

_Broken down_

_Beat up_

_Don't give up_

_You gotta pick up_

_Push up_

_Get up again_

_Don't give up_

_It's too early to give up_

_You should never give in_

_Don't let them win_

_Don't let them win_

_Get up, Get up_

_Get up again_

_You gotta push up_

_Push up_

_You gotta push up_

_Push up_

_It's not about just the weakness I feel without you_

_It's not about not knowing myself when you're gone_

_It's that you're not here _

_You're not by my side_

_I don't know how to do it without you_

_  
Stay alive for me_

_Stay alive for me_

_Stay alive for me_

_Stay alive for me one more time_

She smiled, tears running down her cheeks as she allowed the Jonas Brothers to take over. They understood and said they'd step in early. She was all too grateful.

"I've got to go," Miley called, "but anyone attending this concert gets a free copy of my CD for download." She shouted out the instructions – three times – and then left.

_Stay alive for me, Jackson, _she whispered under her breath. _Stay alive for me._

--

Jackson covered his hands with his head as he heard someone come downstairs. He knew Robbie had been out drinking, and prayed it wasn't him. _Please don't let it be him, _he whispered softly. _Anyone, please rescue me? Will you rescue me?_

He sighed as he felt his arm. _It was so broken. _"Hey, Jackson?" a voice called. Not Robbie's voice. "Are you down here? This is Officer Richard Greenland. We're here to help."

_Officers?_

Then another thought struck him: _I'm being __rescued__?_


	11. Chapter 11

"How is he doing, Grandma?" Miley asked as her grandmother came back from the desk.

"He's doing better, he's in ICU right now," she replied, "but they expect him to make a full recovery."

"Good," Miley said, obviously relieved. "I'm so glad. I was so worried."

"We all were, Miley," her grandmother replied. "Miley, I have a question for you."

"Go ahead, Grandma."

"How would you feel if I legally adopted both you and Jackson?"

--

Jackson moaned in pain as he awoke, utterly exhausted, tired, and just confused. There were days when things did not seem to go his way. Sure, he'd heard he was rescued, but he was probably just dreaming, or something. He turned his head to see Miley staring at him. "Miley?" he questioned. Had his father kidnapped her, too? Or was this some kind of reality? Had he been rescued?

"It's me," Miley said through tearstained eyes, and hugged him. "Oh, Jackson, I'm so sorry. I feel like this is all my fault--," she started, but Jackson interrupted her.

"Don't," he replied shortly, "it's not your fault, Miley; it's nobody's but Dad's and Dad's alone. Are you okay?" he asked quietly. "Am I--is it true, that you guys rescued me?"

"Well, technically, we didn't rescue you," Miley replied with a grin, "but yes, the cops did. They pressed quite a few charges on Daddy dear."

"Quite a few? Besides just abuse?" Jackson questioned, wondering what else his father had done wrong.

"Yes, they pressed several. I guess he had some outstanding warrants in Eastern California."

"Eastern California?"

"Don't ask me, I'm just the messenger," Miley replied easily. "You're going to get better, Jackson," she replied. "I promise."

-----

Six months later

"Miley Cyrus, do you want your grandmother to take custody of you?" the judge asked. "She would legally be your guardian. She would sign all documents, take care of all medical expenses and bills, and she would be legally responsible for you."

"Yes, I do."

"Jackson Cyrus, do you take your mother to be legal guardian for you? She would legally be your guardian, she would sign all documents, take care of all medical expenses and bills, and she would be legally responsible for you."

"Yes, I do."

"Miss Cyrus, do you take these children to be your children? You would be legally responsible for them by the court of law."

"Yes, I do."

And so it became that Jackson and Miley lived with their grandmother until they were eighteen, making this a happy-ending story. Jackson never had to live in fear again. Miley was happy, knowing that her brother was found and her father arrested. Her best friend, Roxanna, who had been in a similar situation as Miley, had found her brother, Jason, on his seventeenth birthday.

It was to be a happy ending for everyone.

FINIS


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